Almost 2,500 Primary 7 pupils from Highland schools attended this year's Safe Highlanders & Islanders events in Inverness, Fort William, Portree, Lairg and Wick. The Inverness event took place in Cameron Barracks between 11 and 20 of May 2011. Sutherland and Lochaber events took place on Wednesday 1 June, Skye & Lochalsh on 15 June and Caithness will take place on 14 and 15 September.
Safe Highlanders & Islanders is a nationally recognised partnership project which received the runner up award in sponsored by COSLA Partnership Working category at the inaugural Scottish Government Safer Community Awards 2010. It is an educational activity based on a partnership approach, endeavouring to tackle challenging issues of community safety and crime prevention. Children following the event become more aware of personal safety, potentially avoid becoming victims of crime, understand how to react to emergency situations and their chances of becoming good citizens increases.
The scheme is based on the principle of “learning by doing” where youngsters will get their chance to experience a number of potentially hazardous situations and participate in a range of simulated practical exercises. Pupils will acquire life saving skills including first aid, fire and water safety, safety on roads and farms and for the first time this year also internet safety. Children shall also be presented with the dangers of electricity, buidling sites and substance misuse. For instance, at the fire safety set presented by the Highlands & Islands Fire & Rescue Service children will practice Fire Evacuation Plan. At the newly devised internet safety set presented by the Education, Culture and Sport Service / NHS Highland and Fujitsu pupils will see through a high impact visual display just how much personal information can be given away online unknowingly. They will be provided with tips to keep safe and how to get further advice.
The agencies involved in this year Inverness Safe Highlanders & Islanders event are the Highland Council, Northern Constabulary, NHS Highland, Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service, Maritime and Coastguard Agency, British Red Cross, Action for Children, Institute of Safety and Health, Health and Safety Executive, Scottish and Southern Energy and Fujitsu. The event is supported as well by number of volunteers who escort children from one set to another during this eight days event. Number of young members of the 2 Ness Bank Boy’s Brigade packed almost 1,700 goddie bags for pupils attending this year's Safe Highlanders & Islanders.